Defining Group Care Programs

Rethinking Reporting Standards

This paper recommends adopting new reporting standards that examine nine different characteristics of group care programs—everything from program size and location to practice models and outcomes. The goal? Arm stakeholders with the information that they need to determine what programs—and program elements—work best for children.

Stakeholder Gains

Many parties could benefit from a richer review of group care programs. Researchers could begin connecting the dots between program characteristics and positive outcomes. States could gain a better sense of the types of programs operating in their system and more swiftly identify gaps in service delivery. And licensing and accreditation agencies could customize practice standards for different populations served or treatment models used.

An Incomplete Picture

What details do we gather from group care programs right now? Not a lot. Current reporting standards give us information on a program’s geographic location, size and duration of service. This limited view stymies the development of group care practice and makes it difficult to differentiate between troubled and high-quality programs, say experts.